Reflecting on how the last 12 months shaped the Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) research and development efforts and strengthened our commitment to securing the nation.
As years go, 2024 was truly one for the history books. It was a year of elections, with more than half the world’s population going to the polls to elect new leadership, including here in the United States. In industry, American innovation and ingenuity expanded well beyond our borders, reaching as far as flying a helicopter on Mars and landing a private U.S. craft on the moon. Back on Earth, U.S. athletes garnered a treasure trove of medals at the Paris Olympics, where security was silently ensured by international partners, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
When life is going peaceably in the homeland, things look easy. But as we know at S&T, safety and security in such a robust and dynamic country are not a given. They are the result of constantly preventing threats, overcoming challenges, and mitigating crises when they arise. Security in the homeland demands constant vigilance—daily, hourly, even by the second. If 2024 had its high points, and it did, it also saw many critical life-threatening events. Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires killed and displaced thousands; a tanker brought down a Baltimore bridge that plays a major role in commerce and transportation; and a simple cybersecurity software upgrade triggered massive systems failures, disrupting travel and crippling businesses in the United States and around the world. Those are only a few of the challenges that impacted the homeland, straining the availability and effectiveness of our nation’s law enforcement, first responders, and emergency services to provide aid and assistance in times of extreme crises.
Through it all, S&T was there—supporting search and rescue operations after Hurricane Helene, response and recovery activities following the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse, and security preparations at the Super Bowl safeguarding more than 61,000 players and attendees. We never wavered from our core mission to protect the homeland, ensure the safety of our citizens, and save lives should hazards hit. In fact, S&T rose to the many 2024 challenges by creating new innovations through scientific research, successes that strengthen our response capabilities today and will enhance our security tomorrow, come what may.
I am proud of the Directorate’s achievements over the last year. They are a direct result of the creativity and dedication of our workforce and our partners across industry, academia, and government. They are also a testament to the commitment S&T maintains to ensuring our safety now, next year, and beyond.
So, as we put 2024 behind us and look ahead to 2025, it is my privilege to present the new S&T Year in Review. Our many achievements and successes highlighted here are the result of the good work that the S&T workforce performed, day in and day out, on behalf of DHS and the American people.
Everything we accomplished in 2024 and everything we continue to do into the future is to protect Americans from ever evolving threats, to empower and protect those who work on the front lines through better technologies and tools, and to ensure security in the homeland so that peaceful living in these dynamic United States looks easy.
Please enjoy the highlights of S&T’s work in 2024 and know that we will continue to strive for an even more secure future through accomplishments we have yet to achieve. From all of us at S&T, have a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy, and safe new year.